The journey from "Nice to meet you," to "I Do" is always an eventful one, but, for the couple at the centre of today's real wedding, Jonny and Lauren, it was also a challenging one. Every time it looked like this gorgeous pair were going to get together, a new obstacle appeared in their path. But, as you'll see in the glorious photographs by Emma Kenny, they did eventually make it down the aisle, during a suitably celebratory and stylish day at Mount Druid! If you're looking for next-level wedding décor inspiration, you've come to the right place!
I think we can all agree that Lauren's wedding dress is an absolute heart-stopper! It's the Zoe gown by Catherine Deane, and we are huge fans of the elegant, embroidered florals.
Before we go any further, we've got to talk about Lauren's incredible engagement ring! Johnny tells us, "I worked with jewellery designer Mairi Burrow to design the ring, drawing upon family stories and Lauren's love of wildflowers."
What a sweet moment - Lauren's Dad looks so proud!
Jonny chose a single-breasted pinstripe suit for the big day, softening the look with a cotton bow tie and pocket square.
How gorgeous is this copper, acrylic and greenery ceremony backdrop? It reads, "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow."
The tin chapel at Mount Druid is so lovely, it really needs very little decoration, but we love how the couple upped the ante with these lush greenery garlands.
Lauren and her Dad travelled to the ceremony in Mount Druid's blue taxi - this is another one of those photographs that always gets me choked up!
We love the romantic peach and rust colours in the wedding party's bouquets. They were created by the floristry team at Best Buds in Belfast, who actually played a major role in Jonny's proposal!
But we're getting ahead of ourselves - let's start with how Jonny and Lauren first met! Jonny tells us that they've known each other since they were teenagers. "We met at a youth club of a church neither of us belonged to," he says. "We went one Friday night each as a friend's wingman/woman. I kept going back solely to hangout and chat to Lauren. In true teenage fashion, I was too timid to actually ask her out and nothing happened, but everyone knew I liked Lauren."
Shortly after, Jonny and Lauren's paths crossed in a totally unexpected way. "She was in a fairly serious car accident and I went to the scene," he remembers. "I ended up bringing her handbag to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, earning myself the nickname 'Handbag Jonny' by Lauren’s parents."
Fast forward a decade and Jonny was living in Belfast, Lauren in Glasgow. "Lauren was home for Christmas and, at a David C. Clements gig where I ignored all my friends to talk to her, we agreed to go for a coffee tour of the North Coast. After an incredible day of deep conversation, a missed opportunity for a kiss on Whiterocks beach (due to an encroaching tide, I swear!), the date unfortunately ended with a car crash. Thankfully, no one was hurt and Lauren and I agreed to go on a real date."
The pair celebrated New Year's Eve together and began a long-distance relationship that same January. "Four months later, during a holiday to Budapest, in May, I told Lauren what I had known since I was 17 really, that I loved her. I asked her how she felt about us getting married. She replied, 'When?'" No, you're crying!
Later, Jonny planned an official proposal. "I picked Lauren up for a chilled day of coffee shop-hopping (one of our favourite things) and said that, at some point, I needed to pick up a plant from the Best Buds studio in Belfast. When we opened the door to the studio, inside was a curation of everything Lauren and I had sent to each other by post while we were long distance - tokens from our first date, the first bunch of flowers I gave to Lauren and even two beers from Brewdog where we decided to make things official! The team at Best Buds had also been busy creating a wildflower forest with Scottish thistles and a crazy flower shower that ran the length of the room." OK, that sounds down-right fabulous!
In case you're wondering (I was!), Scottish tablet is a sugary treat, almost like fudge!
It took this couple no time at all to settle on the vibe they wanted for their big day. "From the beginning, we were determined our faith, friends and families would be at the centre of our wedding," Jonny says. "Wherever we could, from the photography to coffee to invites, we got our talented friends involved, because our community is really important to us."
Jonny tells us that the couple had their heart set on Mount Druid from the moment they watched the video on the venue's homepage! "We knew then it was the perfect place. It had great accommodation for all of our friends travelling to stay, an amazing tin chapel to get married in, and so many spaces for our party to go on all day."
Is #weddinghairgoals a thing? It is now! Lauren's undone updo by Denise Bray is effortlessly pretty.
I am living for Lauren's Mam's mother-of-the-bride look! I love the combination of a minimalist dress with a maximalist fascinator!
Lauren sourced these gorgeous sequin bridesmaids dresses from ASOS. You can't go wrong with a splash of sparkle!
We are full-on swooning over this couple's wedding signage, which is the work of Lauren's best friend, Hannah Duncan.
The couple echoed their ceremony backdrop with copper and acrylic table numbers. Combined with greenery garlands and simple printed place names, it creates such a homely, rustic vibe.
I love how this wedding was bursting with greenery from start to finish!
Jonny's advice to engaged couples is to make a plan to spend a few moments alone together on the day. "Oh, and if you have lots of great friends and family members who will kindly lend you their talents for a few days, be sure to take them up on it!"
Jonny and Lauren tell us that they spent their honeymoon in Greece. "We explored Santorini for eight days and Athens for five. There was good food, wine, culture and sun - what more needs to be said!?"
What a dreamy day! Before we go, we've got to say a huge thank you to Jonny and Lauren for sharing their wedding with us, and to Emma Kenny for providing the evocative photographs.
